So, exceedingly sunny and bright it is: a fine day to haul oneself up and out of the slothful doldrums. Actually, between now and this evening, I must, as I'm scheduled to speak to some hardy souls hereabouts who're planning to set out and hear me speak. Left to my own devices, the only person I'd get out on a freezing cold black perilous night to go hear would be George Washington, my grandma, or perhaps Cleopatra, back from the dead. So I'll grasp at old comforts & tonics: Folger's Instant. a to-do list. see who was born today. If you go to that link, you'll see that it's the anniversary of the birth of Edith Wharton, in 1862, a couple of\ months before my great-grandmother was born... E. T .A. Hoffman, [look this guy UP - what a multi-faceted individual!] in eastern Prussia, was born 24 Jan, 1776 as, far, far away, things were going very, very badly for those waging war for America's independence. I don't reckon that any of those people would now be remembered had they spent their days looking back & noting trivia so I'm outta here. God rest you, Jack LaLanne, every bit as dead as the legions of bums who ne'er did a sit-up or tugged on a Glamour-Stretcher. Such is life.